Teat-cup.



D. T. SHARPLES.

TEAT CUP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY lo. 1911.

Patented Mar. 26,1918.

DAVID TOWN SEND SHARPLES, OF WEST CHESTER,

PENNSYLVANIA.

TEAT-CUP.

rasa/lee.

Application filed May 10, 191'?.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, DAvrD TowNsLND Srmnrnns, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at W est Chester, in the county of Chester and State of`linnnsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in "feat-Cups, ofwhich the following is a specication.

My invention is a teat cup having improved means'for frictionallyengaging the teat, to hold the cup in the desired operative posit-ionwhileV permitting il to be removed with ease when desired. My improvedmeans are characterized by the use of flexible devices within the cupadapted for frictionally engaging the teat to bold the cup firmlythereon and adapted for being deflected from their normal engagement soas to permit the removal of the cup readily when desired.

The nature and characteristic features of my improvements are fullydisclosed in the following description and the accompany` ing drawingsin illustration thereof.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a teat cupembodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a detached flexiblering used therein; Fig. 3 is a broken longitudinal sectional view offeatures of the construction shown in Fig. 1 represented on .an enlargedscale in the position in use; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on theline 4 4: of Fig. 3 showing the relation of features of the mechanism inthe operation of removing the cup; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectionalview of a part of a teat cup embodying a modified construction of myinvention with the parts in the relation occupied in use; Fig. 6 is alongitudinal sectional view of a part of a teat cup embodying a furthermodified construction of my invention with the parts in the relationoccupied in use; Fig. 7 is a plan View of a detached ring used in theconstruction shown in Fig. 6, and Fier. 8 is a sectional view on theline 8 8 of Fig. 6 showing the relation of the fingers to the teat inthe Y operation of removing the cup.

My improved teat cup comprises a shell body l having a detachablesection 1 connected and disconnected with relation thereto by thecoperative threads 1a and 1", the body of the shell being provided withthe internal flange 1c and with the nipples 1d and le. A rubber tube 2,having the Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Mar., 26, 19155.. Serial No. 167,663.

tapered bottom 2- with the slit 2b therein, is provided at its top-withthe exterior .annulus C which rests on the flange 1c.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4e inclusive, a ring 8 is placed in the topof the section or sleeve 1 against the shoulder 1 thereof; soft rubberrings 1l, containing peripheral metal stiffening rings 4u and radialslits 4t forming the prehensile fingers l, are placed in the sleeve 1against the ring 3 with their respective slits staggered; .a second ring3 is placed in the sleeve against the bottom ring Ll; additional rings 4are placed in the sleeve against the second ring 3; and a ring 3 isplaced in the sleeve against the last named ring 1, the ring 8 beingfirmly engaged with the annulus 2c by screwing down the sleeve 1 uponthe body 1 and the rings 3 and 4t being thereby held in place.

The animals teat 5, being entered through the top of the teat cup andpassing through the rings l, deflects the fingers or sections ldownwardly and outwardly, with the result that such fingers or segmentsare not only frictionally engaged with the teat but are so dispose-d asto be placed under longitudinal compression, acting as tentacles orstruts against the surface of the teat to hold the cups thereon firmlyin the proper position.

While these ngers or sections act strongly when in normally deflectedpositions to hold the cup upon the teat, it will be understood that bytwisting or turning the cup the torsional action deflects the lingers ortentacles laterally as shown in Fiff. l and permits the cup to be drawnoff the teat without difhculty.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, placed rings a may be directly against theshoulder or seat in the top of the cup and held in place by rings 3,when the greater force applied to the fingers or tentacles l, due to thereduced number of rings l used, will, through tending to buckle thengers, hold the teat cup in place satisfactorily.

As illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the sleeve 1 may be provided with aring 6 clamped between the shoulder 1 and a ring 3 and with a secondring 6 clamped between rings 3, the rings 6 having peripheral stiffeningrings 6a and radial fingers or tentacles 6 of flexible character.

These prehensile fingers, upon the insertion of the teat 5 through thetop of the cup and through the rings, are deflected downwardly andoutwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 6, so that they are disposed angularlyto the teat, similarly to the elements of a cone. Therefore the weightof the cup is carried longitudinally7 through these lingers to the teat,the lingers acting as struts to resist the tendency of the cup to falloff or nieve from its correct position. In this, as in the previousforms, the cup is removed by turning it upon the teatand deflecting thefingers 6 to the position shown in Fig. S.

It will be understood that while sof't rub- Vber is well ada atedrforirovidine the annular brush or ring having tentacles for grasping theteat, any suitable material, as bristles, may be substituted i'or therubber tentacles.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. A teatcup'having independently movable' flexible members adapted tobe deflected by the insertion of the teat into the cup and tofrictionally engage the teat to hold the cup thereon. 2. A teat cup"having flexible tentacles therein adapted to be deflected by theinsertion of the teat into the cup and to grasp the teat to hold the cupthereon.

A teat cup having 'flexible interior members adapted to be deflecteddownwardly and outwardly by the insertion of the teat in said cup, tofrictionally engage teat.

the teat to hold said cup thereon, and to be deflected laterally byturning the cup so as to permit its ready detachment Jfrom the t. A teatcup having an interior brush like device comprisinga ring provided withinwardly projecting flexible members adapted to be deflected downwardlyVand outwardly by the insertion of the teat into said cup and to graspthe teat so as to hold said cup thereon, said members being adapted forlateral deflection by turning said cup.

5. A teat cup having therein a rubber ring containing radial slotsforming segments adapted for grasping a teat inserted in said cup andmovable laterally to permit the re'- lease of said teat from said cup.VY

(i. A teat cup comprising a shell containing, in the upper end thereof,a plurality oi rings having flexible members, the separations betweenthe members of 'the respective rings being staggered.

7. A teat cup comprising a shell having separable sections, one' ofsaidse'ctions being provided' with an interior flange, a flexible tubeengaging said flange, and Vmeans comprising a ring and tentaclesdisposed above said tube for grasping a teat inserted in said c up, theother of said sections having al shoulder for pressing said means'against said tube. p Y

In testimony whereof` I have hereunto set my name this 8th day Vof May,1917. 'y

DAVID TOINSEND SHARPLES.

VCopies of this patentlmay be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G.

